Lighting
Instructions
C 50
www.contura.eu
GB
14
LIGHTING IN THE RIGHT WAY
It is important that the correct amount of wood is used, especially when
lighting. If you are lighting the fire for the first time you should use a set
of scales to see how much 2 kg kindling is. Also check what the normal and
maximum weights look like.
The stove is only intended for use with the door closed and it is only then
that the hot air flushing of the glass surfaces occurs. Always open the door
carefully and slowly to prevent blow back because of the changing pressure
in the stove.
The function of stoves differs depending on the draft conditions in the
chimney. Achieving the correct setting for the combustion air damper
usually takes a few attempts.
In order to obtain a good bed of embers, there should always be a thin
layer of ash and charred pieces in the stove.
LIGHTING FOR THE FIRST TIME
The first time that the stove is lit, lighting should be terminated
after the initial fire has caught. This is so that the cement that is
used as sealant is able to harden, after that the stove can be used
according to the instructions below with lighting and log feeding.
QUICK LIGHTING
It is important that the wood catches fire
quickly. Quick lighting is achieved by opening
the combustion air damper fully or by leaving
the door in the lighting position for a moment.
Smouldering, i.e. reduced air supply, results
in poor combustion and efficiency with high
emission discharges and can, in worst-case
scenarios, cause rapid gas ignition resulting in
stove damage.
Wood loading
1. Open the door handle slightly and let the vacuum in the firebox equalise
for a few seconds before opening the door completely.
2. Add 2-3 logs of a combined weight of approx 1.5-2.2 kg. One log is
placed diagonally and one or two
logs are placed parallel to the back,
see illustration to the right. Then
close the door.
3. The combustion damper must be
completely open for 3-5 minutes
until the logs turn black and catch
fire. If you wish for slower combustion, the supply of combustion
air can now be reduced. The conditions for controlling combustion
vary depending on the temperature in the stove and the draft in the
chimney.
4. The lowest output of 4 kW is usually obtained when the combustion
damper is 30% open and two logs are lit. In this operating mode it is
important that the combustion air damper is fully open for the first
3-5 minutes so that the wood has the chance to ignite fully before the
supply of combustion air is reduced. A condition of being able to control
the heat output is a thick bed of embers and a high temperature in the
firebox. When the fire has burnt down to embers is the time to add
more wood.
DEFRA exempted
The stove can be used in Smoke Control Areas. Smouldering, i.e. reduced
air supply, are prevented by blocking the combustion damper of 4 kW
output.
Lighting
If your house has mechanical exhaust air ventilation you will need to open
a window near the stove before lighting the fire. Leave the window open for
a few minutes until the fire has caught.
1. Open the controls for the combustion air fully.
2. Place some newspaper or a fire lighter
block, and approximately 2 kg kindling
in the middle of the stove. The wood
should be piled alternately across and
lengthways.
3. Light the fire.
4. The hatch is set to the lighting position,
that is the lower locking hook must be hooked securely around the
lock reel. When the fire has caught fully after approx 10-15 minutes,
close the doors completely (see figures to right). The first load of logs
should not be put on until the start up fire has become a glowing bed of
embers.
Correctly sized wood
Note that if too little kindling is used when lighting, or if the wood is too
thickly cut, the fire box will not reach the correct operating temperature.
Incorrect lighting can lead to poor combustion with heavy sooting and may
result in the fire going out when the door is shut.
Kindling wood: Finely chopped wood
Length: 25-35 cm
Diameter: 3-4 cm
Weight per lighting: 2.0 kg (approx. 10 - 12 finely chopped pieces)
Feeding Wood: Chopped wood
Length: 25-35 cm
Diameter: 6-7 cm
Normal weight: 1.5 kg/hour
Max weight: 2.2 kg/hour (2-3 logs per load)
GB
15
STOVE MAINTENANCE
The glass may be come sooty with use, even if the fire is lit with dry
wood with a moisture content of 15 – 20%. Wiping with dry paper is
often sufficient when cleaning regularly. If the soot has been on the
glass for longer it can be removed using cleaning agent or a specific
soot removal agent. These cleaning agents can be purchased at your
local supermarket or your local stove dealer.
Never use cleaning agents that contain any abrasives, these can
damage the glass.
Ensure that no embers remain when removing ash from the stove. The
ash must be stored in a fireproof container with a lid for for at least a
week before being disposed of.
Also clean inside the area where the ash-pan is located, otherwise
spilled ash can prevent the ash-pan from being fully inserted and
prevent the fireplace door from being closed properly.
Soapstone can be cleaned using washing-up liquid or wiped with pure
acetone. Do not place flammable objects or candles on the soapstone.
The grate and other cast iron components can be cleaned using a
wirebrush.
It is important that the gaskets are checked from a combustion point
of view, because worn gaskets reduce combustion because the stove
draws additional air.
Painted parts of the stove can be cleaned with a damp cloth and, if
necessary, a little washing-up liquid. Damage, such as scratches, to
painted parts can be repaired using Contura touch up paint. Contact
your dealer.
Because there is a constant flow of air though the stove, cold room
air is drawn in and hot air released, dust can gather behind and under
the stove. Therefore, one should regularly clean under and behind the
stove.
Components close to the centre of the fire may need to be replaced.
Examples of such components are the stove cladding and grate. The life
of these components depends on how much and the manner in which
the stove has been used.
CHOICE OF FUEL
All sorts of logs, such as birch, beech,
oak, elm, ash, conifers and fruit trees
can be used as fuel in the stove.
Different types of wood have different
density, the higher the density the
higher the energy value. Oak, beech and
birch have the highest density.
The wood’s moisture
content
Fresh wood is about 50 per cent water.
Some of the water circulates freely
between the fibres and some of the
water is bound in the cells. The wood must always be dried so that the free
water evaporates. The timber is ready for use when the moisture content
has fallen below 20 %. If wood with a higher moisture content is lit, a large
part of the energy content of the wood is used boiling off the water. If the
wood is damp, the combustion is also poor, layers of soot and tar build up
in the chimney and could, at worst, lead to a chimney fire. In addition, it
causes the glass of the stove to soot and may cause discomfort to those
living nearby.
To ensure thoroughly dry wood, the wood should be cut in the winter and
stored, well aired, under a roof. Never cover the wood pile with a tarpaulin
to the ground. The tarpaulin will then act as a sealed cover and the wood
will be prevented from drying. Always store a small amount of wood indoors
for several days before use, so that the surface moisture has time to
evaporate.
You must NOT burn the following
Under no circumstances whatsoever may fossil fuels, pressure impregnated
wood, painted or glued wood, chipboard, plastic or colour brochures be used
as fuel. All these materials can create hydrochloric acid and heavy metals
that are damaging both to the environment and the stove. Hydrochloric
acid can also attack the steel in the chimney or the mortar in a stone built
chimney.
Candles
Do not use old candle stubs as fuel. Melted wax runs down into the stove’s
damper system and makes the stove unusable. Repairs for this are very
expensive.
The fire should not be too big. Large
fires are uneconomic and also produce
high smoke temperatures that can
damage the stove and the chimney. The
recommended amount of wood is 1.5
kg/hour and the maximum permitted is
2.2 kg/hour and then refers to burning
split birch or other broadleaf wood with
18% moisture content. When lighting
the same weight of conifer wood,
significantly higher stove temperatures
are reached. Maximum fire for long
periods reduces the life of the stove and
exceeding the permitted wood amounts
can lead to damage to parts of the stove
and the warranty being invalidated.
AVOID TOO LARGE A FIRE
Managing waste
The stove packaging is cardboard, wood and a small amount
of plastic. The materials must be sorted and recycled.
Hearth plate glass must
be discarded as waste
material together with
pottery and porcelain
GB
16
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF OPERATIONAL INTERFERENCE AND
HOW TO RECTIFY THEM
SWEEPING
Sweeping the chimney ducts and chimney connections should
be carried out by a chimney sweep. The stove can be scraped
down and/or swept. A soot vacuum cleaner is most appropriate
however.
If a chimney fire occurs or is suspected, the combustion
damper and the door must be closed. If necessary, contact
the fire brigade to extinguish it. The chimney must always be
inspected by a chimney sweep after a chimney fire.
WHEN THE STOVE IS NEW
When the stove is new, a particular smell may be detected,
which indicates an oil coating and excess paint on the panels.
After a number of fires the smell will disappear. A particular
lingering smell may occur after some use. The smell comes from
the insulation in the chimney. This can be relieved by burning
wood at 2.2 kg/hour for a period of 5-8 hours.
Warning
• Duringoperation,certainsurfacesofthestovebecomeveryhotandcan cause
burn injury if touched.
• Beawareofthestrongheatradiatedthroughthehatchglass.
• Placingflammablematerialcloserthanthesafedistanceindicatedmaycausea
fire.
• Smoulderingcancausequickgasignitionwiththeriskofdamagetopropertyand
personal injury.
Abnormal amounts of soot form on the glass
There is always a certain amount of soot on the glass and this is added to
with each lighting. Soot on the glass is caused by three things:
• Thewoodisdamp,whichcausespoorcombustionandgeneratesalotof
smoke as a result.
• Toolowtemperatureinthefirebox,whichcausesincomplete
combustion and poor draft in the chimney.
• Incorrectprocedure,thedoorwasnotinthelightingpositionfor
approximately 15 minutes.
Check the moisture content of the wood, ensure that you have good base
embers and go through the lighting instructions once again.
Smoke odour around the stove for periods
This can occur when wind blows down the chimney and most often occurs
when the wind is from a particular direction. Another cause is the door was
opened when it is burning hard.
Painted parts have become discoloured
If painted parts have discoloured it is due to an excessive temperature
in the stove. The reason for the excessive temperature can be that the
maximum amount of wood has been used, inappropriate fuel has been used
(for example building waste, large quantities of finely chopped off cuts).
The warranty does not cover damage of this type.
If a problem occurs that you cannot rectify yourself, contact the dealer or
a chimney sweep.
We hope that these words of advice will help you to enjoy pleasant,
economic and problem free use of your Contura stove.
Poor draft in the stove after new installation
• CheckthelengthofthechimneysothatitmeetsNIBE’s
recommendations, that is a total length of at least 3.5 metres.
• Checkthatthereisnothinginthechimneytorestrictthesmokeand
that no nearby buildings or trees affect the winds around the chimney.
• Checktheareaofthechimney(appliestoexistingstonebuilt
chimneys), which should be 150-200 cm².
It is difficult to light the fire and the fire dies
after a short time
• Thewoodmaynotbedryenough,checkthewood.
• Anotherreasonisthattheremaybenegativepressureinthehouse,
for example when using a kitchen extractor fan or other mechanical
ventilation. Open a window near the stove before lighting the fire. Also
try lighting some newspaper and holding it up inside the stove to get
the draft going.
• Theairsupplyductfromtheoutsidemaybecompletelyorpartially
blocked. Disconnect the hose and try lighting the fire with combustion
air from the room
• Perhapsthecombustionairdamperisnotopen.
• Thesmokeoutletofthestovemaybeblockedwithsoot,whichcan
occur after sweeping. Lift the smoke baffle out and check.
• Finallygothroughthelightinginstructionsagain.Perhapstheamount
of kindling was too small and therefore the base embers were too weak
and cold to light the next load of wood.
NIBE AB · Box 134 · 285 23 Markaryd · Sweden
www.contura.eu
Contura reserves the right to change dimensions and
procedures described in these instructions at any
time without special notice. The current edition can be
downloaded from www.contura.eu
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